Alex's review: Intermediate freeride skier

"I like that great surfy feeling of skiing in powder snow like most people do. On extreme days a pure rocker ski is nice but usually I prefer the combination with camber. That challenges me more and supplies versatility."

Brutal performance and looks!

The Stöckli Stormrider 95 is a treasure in my hands and a beast under my feet. This is a 5 star ski to me. Throw me crud and tracked terrain and together with the Stormrider 95 I'll be able to ignore unefficiency's completely. This freeride ski is stiff enough to feel safe instead of being bumped around by them. Especially in softer snow are the Stormrider 95 skis a joy. They are wide enough for good surface support. Plus the stiffness is good enough to ride them on the edge at speed in long turns. This is going smoothly although you will need to put energy in it. With a ski like this, that looks at you and seems to say, come on, you can do it, that is no problem at all. Extra effort is needed for turning shorter and at lower speed in crud and soft snow. The radius combined with the stiffness makes it less maneuverable by itself, but is easily solved by moving it up and down a bit more.

Stormrider 95 on groomers and bottomless pow

Stöckli Stormrider 95 is a freeride ski, but I could have accepted it as an all-mountain ski. The wide range of terrain the Stormrider 95 is suited for, is an easy excuse. Anything between icy crowded groomers and bottomless powder snow is a good condition to take the Stöckli Stormriders. On groomers your ski day becomes better the more speed you have and the more space you have. Always true, you think. Agree:). My experience on the Stormrider 95 is that switching edges is hard work, and even harder if you need to do short turns. Only if you can let it run the radius in your fast turns, it is fantastic to feel the edge. Then the other side of the range. The Stormrider 95 can handle a good amount of fresh snow but I found it not comfortable anymore once I had to trust it to float free for 100%. The trade-off is obvious, no full rocker powder ski gives the qualities in tracked terrain like the Stormrider 95. Any snow with a bottom, any sidecountry track, any late season slope, I'll take the astonishing looking Stöckli Stormrider 95 with me.

Stöckli about the Stormrider 95

"The Stormrider 95 is the perfect compromise between off-piste and piste. Features include the powder rocker, TiTec and the new TRI technology (fully carbon), this ski is torsionally stiff, directionally stable and still very light. Developed to cut the best figure in any terrain and to cope with all types of snow conditions.", according to Stöckli. Great ski for tracked terrain, fresh snow with a bottom and wide open surfaces.

Heyman's review: Advanced freeride skier

"One-Ski Quiver: the ultimate ski that carves like a slalom ski, accellerates like a GS ski, is as comfortable as an all-mountain ski, cuts through chop like a freeride ski and surfs in bottomless powder like a fat powder ski. Impossible. But which ski comes closest?"

The holy grail of skis

After testing more than 150 skis over the last years, I didn't expect it to happen any more. I mean, to find The Perfect Ski. Something all ski enthusiasts and especially ski testers are always in search of. But after testing the Stöckli Stormtider 95 I am convinced I have found the best ski ever made (for now that is, November 2015). When reluctantly handing the skis back to André, the Stöckli guy who provided me with a pair of Stormrider 95's, I think he saw in my eyes that mixed emotion of ecstacy from the epiphany and the resignation that follows when at last finding what you've been searching for for years.

The ultimate one-ski quiver

The Stöckli Stormrider 95 is so versatile that no matter the circumstances you'll have the day of your life skiing them. Torsional stiffness and the famous Stöckli edge grip are phenomenal resulting in extreme cornering without ever drifting off line. The weight reduction makes turning short very light. The tip is just flexible enough to make the skis shoot over any obstacle you might encounter, float in deep snow and still be very damp at top speed. The tail is a perfect mix, holding the carve turn as long as you want and releasing effortlessly in deep snow as well. It's amazing how Stöckli has managed to put all these characteristics in just one ski, balanced to perfection.

This ski is made for...

Every advanced to expert skier who wants one ski for the whole mountain. I tested the 183cm version, which was not too long for me. So don't be shy and take the Stormrider 95 about 10cm above your own length. And yes, the price is a little steep. But considering this is the holy grail of skis, it's a bargain.

Stöckli about the Stormrider 95

"The Stormrider 95 is the perfect compromise between off-piste and piste. Features include the powder rocker, TiTec and the new TRI technology (fully carbon), this ski is torsionally stiff, directionally stable and still very light. Developed to cut the best figure in any terrain and to cope with all types of snow conditions.", according to Stöckli.

All Freeride Skis

2017-2018 Powder Ski Review

Wider skis are better! Let's check it out.

by Craig

I have selected some of the wider offerings (approximate 115mm underfoot and above) that were available for 2016-17 season, as well, the new releases coming for 2017-18. See the individual ski reviews on the Yellow Gentian site for further details on each ski, and best internet pricing on...